It would be an understatement to suggest Middlesbrough fans were surprised to see Martin Braithwaite – a striker who struggled to force his way into Tony Pulis’s starting XI at Riverside – link up with Lionel Messi, Antoine Griezman and Gerard Pique.
Barcelona paid £18 million to sign the one-time Boro forward in February.
And, 11 months on, reports from Spain are suggesting that the Camp Nou could soon be home to another man who failed to even reach 50 appearances for a club currently sitting 11th in England’s second tier.
According to Mundo Deportivo, Barcelona are interested in signing Marten De Roon from Atalanta, with his contract in Bergamo due to expire at the end of this season.
Then again, these reports should not be greeted with too much surprise.
Barca coach Ronald Koeman is a huge fan of a steel-capped central midfielder who became a key part of his Holland team.
The disciplined and intelligent De Roon proved to be the perfect foil for Frenkie De Jong at international level and perhaps he could get the best out of the former Ajax star on a weekly basis too.
If last night’s 3-0 thumping at the hands of Juventus is anything to go by, Barcelona are crying out for a Casemiro-style enforcer capable of breaking up the play and stopping those relentless counter attacks at source.
But you could forgive Middlesbrough fans for feeling a little strange if De Roon ends up sharing a dressing room with Braithwaite at the Camp Nou.
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